Micropterigidae
The Urmotten ( Micropterigidae ) are a family of butterflies (Lepidoptera ). They are the only family within the Zeugloptera that represent the most primitive suborder of butterflies. They are found worldwide with about 100 species. They are the caddisflies ( Trichoptera ), with which the butterflies are most closely related, very similar. But unlike them, the butterflies have scaly wings. The dolls are more like those of caddisflies. The limbs, wings and antennae are not stuck with them to the body, it is called free dolls ( Pupa libera ) and not mummy dolls.
Features
The moths reach a wingspan 7-15 mm and have an elongated body shape. The front wings are 2.5 to 4 times longer than wide, colored predominantly metallic shiny or have at least metallic pattern. The basic color is usually bronze or greyish - bronze. The hind wings are about the same width as the front wings and have in some species, some of them very long fringe. The moths bear a striking head of hair on the head, and the families of the longhorn moth ( Adelidae ) and deceit moths ( Eriocraniidae ) have. The thread-like antennae are of medium length and are approximately 0.6 to 0.9 times as long as the forewing. In addition to the compound eyes of the Urmotten also have two simple eyes ( ocelli ). They are the only butterflies that take a proboscis chewing mouth parts consisting of short maxillae and mandibles have trained normally. So they can eat pollen. Your fünfsegmentigen Maxillarpalpen are well developed, their labial palps are only partly, in some species they are regressed sooner or strong. All six legs are well developed and suitable for running and they have a double pair of spurs on the hind side of the tibiae.
The Flügeladerung of both pairs of wings is the same: they each have 11 to 14 wing veins with two Analadern (1b and 1c ).
The caterpillars have with those of other caterpillars little in common. They are white and wear a pair of legs on each segment, which consists of a cone-shaped shaft that comes together at the end to a point. Thus, they are the only caterpillars with trained, genuine belly legs.
Way of life
One finds the moths during the day on the flowers of herbs, shrubs and trees.
System
The Urmotten family is represented in Europe with 46 species, of which 15 species occur in Central Europe:
- Micropterix aglaella ( Duponchel, 1838) CH, D
- Micropterix allionella (Fabricius, 1794) A, CH, D
- Micropterix aruncella ( Scopoli, 1763) A, CH, D
- Micropterix aureatella ( Scopoli, 1763) A, CH, D
- Micropterix aureoviridella ( Höfner, 1898) A, CH, D
- Micropterix calthella (Linnaeus, 1761 ) A, CH, D
- Micropterix isobasella Staudinger, 1871 CH
- Micropterix mansuetella Zeller, 1844 A, CH, D
- Micropterix myrtetella Zeller, 1850 A
- Micropterix osthelderi Heath, 1975 A, CH, D
- Micropterix paykullella (Fabricius, 1794) A, CH, D
- Micropterix rablensis Zeller, 1868 A
- Micropterix rothenbachii Frey, 1856 A, CH, D ( synonym: Micropteryx rothenbachii )
- Micropterix schaefferi Heath, 1975 A, CH, D
- Micropterix tunbergella (Fabricius, 1787) A, CH, D
Fossil evidence
The oldest confirmed fossil evidence of Urmotte comes from Lebanon amber ( about 130 million years, Lower Cretaceous ). The assignment of a much older, dating from the Upper Triassic of South Africa insect of this family is controversial. Further findings from the Cretaceous period were made, inter alia, Canadian, and Siberian Burmese amber. In addition, members of this family in the Eocene Baltic amber come (40 to 50 million years) and amber from the slightly younger deposit near Bitterfeld ago. Among the amber inclusions are both larvae and imagos.